We met at Chautauqua to assess the weather. It was overcast and rainy. There was a thick cloud of fog obscuring the views from the trailhead. Anyone who lives in Boulder will tell you that (a) it's hardly ever rainy, let alone foggy. And (b) the mountain views at Chautauqua feel very immediate. They're right there. To have them partially obscured means there's weather. To have them disappear entirely? Well, that's a different class of weather.
The first thing I noticed about Farhana and Jay was how cheerful they were despite the weather. This was a special trip to Colorado and rather than feel disappointed about the weather they were optimistic, flexible, and ready for anything. As a human being I can tell you: that's rare! Our expectations often determine our happiness with what we get. To expect sunny, dry Colorado weather with epic mountain views... but get a Pacific Northwest style fog... and to be stoked? They were already my ideal clients.
At this point I should mention something very unique about this session. They had brought their best man and maid of honor! On their trip to Colorado they were traveling with friends. You'll see them in a few photos below, and there are a few times where the couple is looking off camera together - you can bet they were looking at their BM and MOH.
Knowing the mountains, I said there was a chance we might find a weather window up Flagstaff. Lost Gulch Overlook was meant to be our second location, but you couldn't even see the mountains at Chautauqua. How much worse could it be at Lost Gulch? It might even be better. A fine mist of rain fell around us as we chatted through the options. Knowing that the couple and their two friends were visiting from Florida and might be unnerved by the slick, windy mountain road I offered to drive. We set out together in my car for the overlook.
As it turned out, conditions were the exact same. Rolling clouds of fog moved silently across the rocky outcropping. In better weather the views are incredibly impressive. (Seriously, check out the views at Lost Gulch.) On this day the overlook was eerily wrapped in fog. It left the impression that you could take one wrong step and fall over the edge without even realizing you were at the edge. Thankfully they had a guide. (I know - shameless plug!)
I focused on close, intimate, snuggly poses at Lost Gulch. I had virtually no choice. If they were further than 5 feet from me and my camera they disappeared in the fog! Can you tell they didn't mind? Can you tell they were thrilled to be there together?
Eventually we made our way back to the cars and headed down the mountain to Chautauqua Park once more. The conditions had begun to improve. On our way, we stopped to admire the local wildlife ;) At Chautauqua Park we could see the base of the foothills. We wandered around the wet red sandstone trails taking photos. Their smiles lit up the foggy day. You can't not smile when you see them together.
Would you do a foggy engagement session in Boulder? Would you let your friends tag along to your session to make you laugh and touch up your makeup? Let me know in the comments!
